Abstract
Executive Functioning is a repertoire of a number of complex brain (frontal lobe) abilities that helps to perform goal-directed daily activities with ease. In most of the time this function remains discretely unnoticed because it becomes so typical with human daily activities like planning, working memory functions, set shifting, sequencing etc. unless there is a difficulty in performing such task requiring executive skills. Research has demonstrated that deficits in executive functions are a robust correlate of autism. The present study aims to bring out the efficacy of executive skills, ways of intervening such skills in autism and to figure out the effect of such intervention in their daily life activities. Case study approach has been selected as the methodology. Two cases have been selected and the sessions were conducted on individual basis. Apart from this, case history and observation in both home setting and in formal session has been considered to analyse the data. Sessions were conducted in one to one interaction to determine intellectual impairment of the cases by performance box of Colored Progressive Matrices and to determine baseline measure of executive functioning, Tower of London is used. Intervening sessions were conducted by using several equipment and other daily tasks requiring such skills are enquired and observed. Also post intervening sessions were conducted to see the transfer of training. The result showed progress in carrying out activities requiring executive skills involving planning, mental set shifting and working memory and transfer of training is remarkable in mental set shifting task. The present study left a further chance of investigating the scope of trainability of executive functioning in autism considering large number of participants.
Highlights
Executive Functioning is a repertoire of a number of complex brain abilities that helps to perform goal-directed daily activities with ease
Executive function (EF) is that complex capacity that calls for a rhythmic amalgamation of several abilities for any task completion, activating functionally the prefrontal cortex
EF skills grows over time, starting its journey as early as the first year of life which are prominent and further it matures by the developmental years, gradually with experiences, travelling through childhood and into adolescents. (Best & Miller 2010 Diamond 1991a, 1991b, 2002, 2006) The experience or the condition when it is Autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders executive function deficits have been said to be associated with it. (Russell and Fernandez Dol, 1997)
Summary
Executive Functioning is a repertoire of a number of complex brain (frontal lobe) abilities that helps to perform goal-directed daily activities with ease. The result showed progress in carrying out activities requiring executive skills involving planning, mental set shifting and working memory and transfer of training is remarkable in mental set shifting task. Cognitive flexibility is the capacity to promptly switch gears and adjust to changed demands, priorities, or perspectives in the environment Impairment in such set shifting ability is a prominent feature of executive dysfunction; where the shifting ability is demanded on changing goals or tasks and environment. Children uses executive function skills to complete tasks that involve following two or more rules showing that they can alter their attention to make deliberate choices (cognitive flexibility), hold rules mentally as they figure things out (working memory) the strategy to complete the task (planning)
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